House Democrats have removed all provisions obstructing the President from immediately closing Guantanamo Bay from the FY 2021 Defense Appropriations Bill. If it survives House/Senate Conference, an incoming President Biden could immediately close Guantanamo Bay when he takes office.
After obstructing Obama for 8 years, House Democrats have taken a 180 degree turn to reach this point.
Hopefully this provision will be gone from the final bill and we can finally close down Guantanamo Bay, bringing those we wish to try to the United States for trial in the Article III courts and releasing all other remaining detainees unconditionally.
We should also immediately return Guantanamo Bay to the full sovereignty of Cuba.
I am not going to get into the whole agenda thing. I have ignored the “agenda” threads for both parties.
I would recommend moving the detainees to USP Canaan, located just northeast of Scranton, Pennsylvania. While Canaan as a whole is High Security, it has a Special Housing Unit that is Administrative Security and can easily take all 41 detainees if necessary. My Pennsylvania residence is not far west of Canaan, but I would have zero issue with the detainees going there.
We don’t have the issue of statelessness with any of the detainees at Guantanamo. All can be repatriated directly to their home countries, which are obligated to take their own citizens/nationals in.
These are NOT criminals, they are enemies. They remain enemies. So long as AQ or any of its off shoots exist and plot against the US they must be held. They do not get a trial, they have no day in court. Being an enemy of the US is not criminal, its a status. A status they claim and we affirm.